Sunday, May 12, 2019

Cocoa Fig Spread, oh where have you been all my life? My daughter recently purchased some Cocoa Fig Spread, called me up and said "mom you need to make this" then proceeded to tell me all about it. She sent me some photos so I could see it, and the ingredients label from the back of the jar.

photo credit: Sharon Benton Studios

I did a little homework and discovered Cocoa Fig Spread is a product of Croatia. How cool is that!
Croatia, with its over 1,000 islands and islets, is a country with an exceptional natural beauty, varied terrain, and cosmopolitan cities. Croatia is also renowned for its production of healthy food, a characteristic of this part of Europe.

photo credit: Sharon Benton Studios

Around the time I was making it, I was preparing for a Getaway with some amazing women chefs, and a fabulous food photographer, Sharon Benton Studios. Several taste tested and critiqued it for me, then proceeded to set up an entire photo shoot around it. It was fantastic and the photos used here are the result.

photo credit: Sharon Benton Studios

This versatile Cocoa Fig Spread is amazing on baked goods and breakfast treats, or warm and poured over ice cream or fresh fruit. Fold gently into mascarpone and use as a filling for crépes. Pairs with soft cheeses such a Brie, Manchego, and aged Cheddar's or Gouda's or spread onto whole grain toast with sliced bananas.

Method
In a large heavy saucepan combine diced figs, sugar, cocoa powder, lemon juice, cinnamon and cloves. Stir and heat over medium high heat bringing to a gentle boil.

Reduce heat and simmer 20-30 minutes, stirring often. Mixture will begin to thicken up and figs will be macerated.

Remove from heat and stir in brandy (be careful as it will splatter some). Spoon mixture into a blender or food processor and pulse on low a few times, or until mixture is smoother with a few remaining pieces of fig.

Pour or spoon into prepared 8 oz mason jars, leaving 1/4-inch head-space. Top with lids and rings and process in a water bath or steam canner 10 minutes.

Remove jars and place on a kitchen towel on your counter-top and allow jars to sit undisturbed 24 hours. Jars are sealed when button on top of lid is depressed and won't flex up or down.

Sunday, April 7, 2019

The other day I was able to pick up several gallons of juicy, delicious, locally grown and freshly picked strawberries from my friends at Dorr Farms. WOW! These strawberries are incredible. Seriously so good I had to stop myself from eating them. Just look at them!!

I knew many of these berries were destined to be jam of one kind or another, so I drove home with the idea of freezing most of them for future use. I walked into the kitchen with my treasures and sitting on the counter was a can of Dole crushed pineapple. Hmmmmm? Right away the wheels started turning ... I mean really sometimes that's a dangerous thing, but not this time.

Delicious, juicy, fresh strawberries and a can of crushed pineapple is a match made in heaven. This jam is amazing topped on biscuits or English muffins, and delicious as a filling between cake layers. It's the perfect Spring or summer jam and a great way to put up some of those berries.

Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring often to prevent sticking. Add sugar all at once; stir and bring back to a rolling boil. Boil hard 1 minute stirring constantly (use a long handled spoon to avoid the jam splattering on you).

Remove from heat, stir to reduce any foaming and ladle into prepared canning jars leaving 1/4-inch head-space. Wipe rims of jars with a wet paper towel and cover with lids and bands.

Process in a boiling water bath or steam canner 10 minutes. Remove jars and place on a kitchen towel on your counter-top. Let sit 24 hours undisturbed. Jars are sealed when button on lid is fully depressed and won't flex up and down.

Store in pantry up to one year.

*Cook's note - drain the pineapple slightly, or about half the juice out. You don't need to be too fussy with this, you just don't need all the liquid.

Monday, March 18, 2019

Making your own herb salts couldn't be easier. First you need to choose your salt. Here are just a few types:

Himalayan Pink
The color hues of this sea salt range from light pink to dusky rose to deep red. Formed about 600 million years ago when a great inland sea evaporated, Himalayan Pink salt’s gorgeous palette comes from a variety of trace minerals including iron, magnesium, copper, and potassium, among others, which have been trapped in the salt crystal matrix (Bitterman, 2013).Celtic Gray
Celtic gray sea salt is blue-gray in color and carries a distinctly mineral-rich flavor. Derived from Brittany, France, this salt gets its distinct color from the earthen clay from which it is harvested. Its traditional uses in cooking range from finishing on savory dishes to being finely ground and added to baked treats to create a “richness” in other flavors (Bitterman, 2010).

Black Hawaiian
Jet black in color, black Hawaiian sea salt actually gets its unique hue from activated charcoal added during or after the drying process is complete. Although it is traditionally derived through evaporation over volcanic soils (hence its other common names, “volcanic” or “lava” salt), this aspect does not impact the color of the sea salt (Bitterman, 2010). The flavor is earthy and slightly tannic.

Fleur de sel

Translated as “flower of the salt,” this unique sea salt is made by evaporating saline water in the open air with energy from the wind and sun (Bitterman, 2010). Since these salts already have a high about of moisture in them, the crystals are able to resist instantly dissolving when sprinkled over a plate of steaming food. This means that the flavor profile will be more pronounced and the salt will maintain a slight crunchiness.

Red Hawaiian
There are several different types of red Hawaiian sea salt ranging from brick red to pale or dark salmon in color. As the red color implies, red Hawaiian sea salts are rich in iron. Like black Hawaiian sea salt, the color is not derived from the salt itself but from the red volcanic clay, called Alaea, that is mixed with the salt during natural evaporation in tidal pools. The flavor of these salts is oceanic with a mineral undertone (Bitterman, 2010). Persian Blue
The pale sky blue color of Persian blue sea salt alludes to its mild, silky, and slightly sweet flavors. Although it is rich in trace minerals, its distinctly blue color is derived from the natural compression of the salt over long periods of time. Considered one of the more rare sea salts available on the market, Persian blue sea salt also carries a high price tag (Bitterman, 2010).

Smoked
While smoked sea salt does not lend any additional nutritional content, the smoky flavor is rich, distinct, and favored by chefs all over the world. The process of smoking sea salt is typically done over hot coals at a low temperature. Through this process, the salt takes on a slightly tan or gray color (Bitterman, 2010). (Reference: The Herbal Academy)

Now Choose Your Herbs!

Flat Leaf Italian Parsley

I was looking for a blend we could use to rub on thick cut pork chops, steaks or chicken when we were grilling.

Curly Parsley

Recently we cut some Flat Leaf Italian Parsley, Curly Parsley, Oregano and Thyme, so I went after something a bit Tuscan in flavor. I also chose to use a Garlic French Sea Salt from a purveyor in Maryland who makes small batch flavored sea salts.

For longer shelf life, I first dried the herbs and then blended a bit of everything together with some of the salt. It was literally a taste experiment, adding a bit more of this or that, until the flavor was where I wanted it. You don't want the salt to overpower the herbs, so starting with a little and adding more is the way to go.

Method
Combine all ingredients together in a food processor and process until it's the consistency you want. Store in air-tight mason jar. Use as a rub on pork, beef or poultry. Especially good on grilled meats.

Tuesday, February 26, 2019

This is not your mother's or grandmother's bread pudding. Even picky "I hate bread pudding" people will like this one. How do I know? My husband was one of those people.

Determined to make him a convert, I made this and had him try a piece without telling him what it was. After a few minutes of listening to him say "mmmmm" and "oh ya" I asked, what do you think? He replied "absolutely freaking delicious!" Boom!!! Non-bread pudding person was now a believer.

This is rich, decadent and unbelievably delicious. The pecan topping and the sauce just put it over the top. A small piece is all you need.

Method
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish.

Mix together granulated sugar, eggs, and milk in a bowl; add vanilla. Pour over cubed bread and let sit for 30 minutes.

In another bowl, mix and crumble together brown sugar, butter, and pecans.

Pour bread mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over the top and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until set. Remove from oven.For the sauce:
Mix together the granulated sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir together until the sugar is melted on a low simmer, whisking often. Mixture will darken and thicken some while cooking. Do not overcook. Add the brandy (if using) stirring well. Pour over bread pudding, if desired, or serve separately with each slice. Serve warm.

Wednesday, February 13, 2019

A bag of fresh frozen strawberries in my freezer I purchased from a local farm, got me thinking how to use them. I really wanted to create a dessert jam, something that would really zing and be a bit different from the ordinary.

Having read several recipes for chocolate cherry jam, I thought, why couldn't that be strawberries? Of course, there was no reason why it couldn't. Then I wanted to "boost" the flavor a bit more so I added some dark chocolate balsamic vinegar.

Wow doesn't begin to describe this jam. It's sweet, savory, sultry and darn delicious. It pairs equally well as a jam between cake layers, or topped on your favorite cheese on crackers. The strawberries are the star, with a nice taste of chocolate coming though, and just a hint of the tang from the dark chocolate balsamic vinegar.

Method
Place strawberries, dark chocolate balsamic vinegar, Sure-Jell and butter in a large stock pot. Heat over high heat stirring to combine ingredients. Continue stirring occasionally until mixture starts to bubble.

Stir in sugar and cocoa powder all at once and bring to a rolling boil over high heat stirring often. Boil hard one (1) minute, remove from heat.

Ladle jam into prepared canning jars leaving 1/2-inch head-space. Top jars with lids and rings, and process 10 minutes in boiling water bath or steam canner.

Remove jars and place on a kitchen towel on your counter-top. Let sit 24 hours undisturbed. Jars are sealed when button on top of lid is fully depressed and won't flex up and down.

Serve with a sharp cheese over crackers, or top on a pound cake with whipped cream. This jam is extremely versatile and can be used in savory or sweet applications.

Thursday, February 7, 2019

When my blogging friend, Brenda, from What's Cooking America shared her recipe with me for this crazy good barbecue sauce, I knew I was going to make it.

What's Cooking America was the very first website I followed long before I was a blogger myself. Their recipes are tried and true, so please do yourself a favor and check them out. You won't be disappointed.

When making this Cinnamon Whiskey Apple Butter Barbecue Sauce, I had a few things I wanted to tweak and add to make it more my own. I used homemade Apple Butter and Spicy Brown Mustard, and I also opted out of using Worcestershire sauce (because I was out of it) and instead added a tiny bit of soy sauce, lemon juice and hot sauce.

Oh my word! This Cinnamon Whiskey Apple Butter Barbecue Sauce is amazing. Hints of Fireball and apple butter hit first, then a bit of tang from the apple cider vinegar and spicy brown mustard comes in. It's a delicious blend of sweet and tart. I can't wait to slather it on some ribs, or grilled poultry.

Method
Combine all ingredients in a large sauce pan. Bring to a low, steady boil over medium heat stirring often. Reduce heat and allow barbecue sauce to simmer 30 minutes to one hour depending on desired thickness (I simmered mine for one hour).

Remove from heat and adjust seasonings as needed; carefully blend until smooth if you want a smoother consistency.

Baste or slather on grilled pork or poultry and enjoy!

For Canning: Add Cinnamon Whiskey Apple Butter Barbecue Sauce to 8 oz mason jars leaving 1/2-inch head-space. Cover jars with lids and rings and process 20 minutes in a water bath or steam canner. Remove jars and allow them to sit 24 hours undisturbed on your kitchen counter-top. Jars are sealed when button on top of lid is fully depressed and won't flex up and down.Store in pantry up to one year. Open jars must be refrigerated.

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